An overdue break in a wall of denial

Don't expect me to be upset about this.

That the debate over the Iran nuclear deal is clarifying that the sycophants of Israel's right-wing government want the U.S. to be embroiled in permanent war on the Middle East strikes me as a good tangential benefit of a sound diplomatic process.

Let's get real here. It is not in the U.S. interest to carry water for Benjamin Netanyahu.

Don't take my word for this. Listen to M.J. Rosenberg who used to work for AIPAC (the coordinating force in the Israel Lobby).

Obama is fighting a lobby that has been the bane of every president since Eisenhower ... Will Obama succeed in getting the lobby to back off? Will he do it serious damage? One can only hope so. The lobby is a malignant force in this country.

But it is only a powerful force because politicians allow it to be. ... The lobby is really the Wizard Of Oz. It is back there madly manipulating and issuing pronouncements in a loud voice. ... all it will take is a president willing to take them on. And then beating them badly as must happen with the Iran agreement.

President Obama is doing a great thing, not only for himself and the country, but for everyone of his successors. ... As for 90% of American Jews, if not more, we want and need to be rid of this curse. It doesn’t speak for us and never has. It speaks for the Israeli Right. And it jeopardizes our standing as Americans by making us all look like expatriate Israelis when all we are is Americans. And good ones.

AIPAC is not us. Not even close. Obama, who received 70-80% of our votes in two elections, is. Beat them, Mr. President.

More on this from James Fallows at the Atlantic.